This protocol describes how to temporarily and remotely silence neuronal activity in discrete brain regions while rats are engaged in learning and memory tasks. The approach combines pharmacogenetics (Designer-Receptors-Exclusively-Activated-by-Designer-Drugs) with a behavioral paradigm (sensory preconditioning) that is designed to distinguish between different components of learning.
Robinson, S., Adelman, J. S. A Method for Remotely Silencing Neural Activity in Rodents During Discrete Phases of Learning. J. Vis. Exp. (100), e52859, doi:10.3791/52859 (2015).